Former Lawyer Sentenced For Fraud

Money Was Spent On Ski Instructor

July 23, 1997|By Eric Ferkenhoff, Tribune Staff Writer.

Attorney Maureen Walsh Fairchild, once a rising star at the prominent Chicago firm of Chapman & Cutler, was sentenced Tuesday to a year and a day in federal prison for cheating clients and the firm out of more than $900,000.

Lawyers for Fairchild, charged last November in a 23-count fraud indictment, did not contest the allegations, including charges that she misspent thousands of dollars to entertain a male friend.

Instead, lead defense attorney Daniel Reidy argued for leniency on the basis that Fairchild's misconduct from 1991 to 1994 stemmed from mental and emotional disorders, aggravated by asthma medication, that precluded sound judgment.

In April, Fairchild entered a so-called Alford plea, acknowledging that she stood little chance of prevailing in court but denying intent to cheat or defraud.

U.S. District Judge Charles Norgle rejected the defense as an "excuse" for the crime, but agreed that Fairchild's "diminished mental capacity" was likely a contributing factor. Norgle also held that Fairchild has adequately accepted responsibility for her actions. In doing so, Norgle opted to drop the sentencing range by roughly two-thirds.

Fairchild, originally facing up to nearly four years of incarceration, must serve at least 85 percent of the 366-day sentence.

The sentence, to begin Jan. 8, will be followed by three years of supervised release during which she will begin making restitution of $50,000--equal to the amount Fairchild improperly billed the firm for personal expenses.

Chapman & Cutler, which fired Fairchild in 1994, has repaid its clients for about $850,000 in overbillings.

Among other things, Fairchild was accused of cheating clients out of tens of thousands of dollars that she used to hire nannies, maids and a physical trainer for her ski instructor friend.

During sentencing, prosecutors argued that Fairchild, now of Idaho, illegally racked up the billings to impress the firm's top bosses and better position herself to become a managing partner.

Fairchild's sentencing comes roughly three years after her estranged husband, Winston & Strawn partner Gary Fairchild, pleaded guilty to bilking several clients and the firm out of more than $750,000 over a 10-year period. He served 21 months in prison.